The Shokunin Kunoichi and Her Serpent
by 0-WickedMelody-0
Summary: When Hinata and Sasuke are called on by Shinigami, they embark on a strange and humorous adventure. Their mission: become the guardians of the Soul Eater gang. Watch as they get involved in the life of the Shibusen students, guiding them as they grow under their wisdom. Manga-verse Soul Eater plot. Warning: will contain swears, minor OoC-ness, slight harem, and awkward omakes.
1. The Shadow Kunoichi and Her Serpent

_Author's Note: Heeeeeeeey minna-san! This is my first story EVER! . YAAAAAAAAAY! Just wanna let ya know that I'm not very confident of my writing skills. So if you think it's bad, well, that's your opinion, I guess. Yeah, I don't mind flames, but if I receive any hate mail through PMs...well, I'll just ignore then report. Yes, okay, it isn't the best story out there. Really, just please no haters. BY THE WAY: I appreciate reviews! Makes me happy that people actually read AND wrote back their opinions! :)_

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_Prologue_

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The waning crescent looked down upon Death City. A steady flow of blood seeped through its clenched teeth, a definite sign that blood shall be spilled by night's end. A lone woman directed her gaze straight ahead as she made her way down the street. The sound of her sleek black stilettos hitting the concrete pierced the eerie silence surrounding her. A breeze blew, scattering fallen leaves at her feet. She shivered and pulled her suede overcoat closer. A chill trailed down her spine, and she broke out in a cold sweat.

"Something is going to happen, and I'm guessing I won't enjoy it," she muttered to herself. As she turned a corner, a lanky man with gleaming, honey-colored eyes dressed in a pinstripe suit and identical fedora hat blocked her way. He was a fairly tall man standing at 6'4", towering over her petite frame. She backed away as subtly as she could, but the man didn't miss the movement.

He relished this moment of superiority, feeding on the fear he felt radiating from the woman. _'This is going to be a fun game of chase,' _he thought giddily to himself while grinning wickedly.

"Hullo, Missy. Let's play a game; you run and I find you, 'kay? I'll give you a five-second headstart. 5..."

Gasping, she spun around and ran as fast as her legs would take her. She had no specific destination in mind. Her instincts told her to get the hell out of there as fast as possible. She felt a bit confident she had outrun him, but she was wrong. On her fifth block, she heard the man's yell.

"HERE I COME!" The woman rounded a corner and was faced with a dead end. She frantically looked around for any sort of means of escape. Unfortunately for her, the walls surrounding her were bare; no ladders, no doors, just rotting brick walls.

"Oh crap," she murmured. She turned around and almost got to the sidewalk when the man appeared and cornered her. She walked backward until she felt the wall hit her back.

"Hey, looks like I found you. Oh well," he sighed while reaching into his breast pocket. He slowly pulled out a silver Revolver and polished it with his crimson red handkerchief embroidered with gold thread. _Daniel_, in gold cursive lettering, was sewn at the bottom.

The woman sank down to her knees, sobs racking her entire body. She begged relentlessly for her life to be spared. The man in the suit inserted a single bullet into the barrel, cocked the gun, and aimed it at the woman's forehead.

"By the way, the name's Daniel; Daniel of the Damned, head of the Underground Hellhole." Just as he pulled the trigger, an onyx kunai pierced the gun and knocked it to the floor. "Dammit!" He looked up and saw two figures standing upon an apartment building, their faces silhouetted in the moonlight. The feminine one with long side bangs held another kunai in her right hand.

"Daniel of the Damned, you are to be executed for 57 accounts of murder, 14 accounts for assault and battery, and 185 accounts for disorderly conduct," spoke a voice laced with bitter venom.

Daniel merely snorted. "Like a couple of kids can kill me. Why doesn't Death come and get me himself, huh?! Sending kids to do his dirty work, feh! A coward in my eyes if he doesn't come kill me himself."

"Do not insult Shinigami-sama."

The female figure leaped off the edge and landed silently in a crouch. Her midnight blue hair was pinned up in an elegant bun held up by two lacquered chopsticks. Through the fishnet covering, her bandaged torso could be seen. Her white denim jacket with lavender lace embroidery was left opened, swaying in the breezy autumn night. The black and purple dropped waist skirt rested loosely against her thighs. Her weapon pouch was visible, secured above her right knee. The Konohagakure hitai-ate shielded her eyes, evidently fooling passerby into thinking her to be blind.

"Hah! You're blind! How're you gonna fight now, brat?" A cocky smirk was plastered on his face. "There is NO WAY in hell you can beat me!"

The male figure appeared in a flurry of wind and leaves beside the female. He stood at 6'0" with an uncaring expression, an airy confidence surrounding him. He wore a wife beater, with beige cargo shorts and black Converse sneakers. His arms were wrapped in white cloth bandages, interwoven through his fingers. An identical hitai-ate was fastened around his forehead. He glared at the man menacingly, his arms crossed.

"Don't worry; we'll make light work out of you," he said coldly. Turning to the girl beside him, he asked, "Shall we, Hinata? We've already wasted time by getting rid of bastards like him all night."

She giggled once, replying, "Shinigami-sama might be angered if we allow this trash to live. Ne, Sasuke-kun?" Her twisted grin induced a fear within Daniel that he had never felt until that moment. He knew the crazed look on her face was not normal.

_'Damn, brats. Thinking they could beat me! Still, I should keep my guard up,' _he thought while gritting his teeth.

Palm facing out, Hinata extended her arm upwards. "Weapon form!"

The dark-haired teen nodded and transformed into a scythe found only in ancient mythology; one of the few revered as "The True Weapon of Death", a title only recognized by those who know the story of the original helpers of Lord Death.

The slate grey staff was nearly five feet in length, a single image of black flame encircling an emerald serpent embossed on its surface. Both ends of the staff had a dazzling garnet placed in the center. The semi-crescent blade had three layers of stained metal; the silver encased by onyx. Engraved in the silver was the kanji for _"Eternal Mangeykou Sharingan; The Curse of the Uchiha Clan"_. The engraving casted a ghostly white glow in the moonlight.

The girl caught it and spun it in her hands. One end of a metal cuff attached itself to her right wrist, extending when she pulled the chain; the other end connected to the bottom of the staff. Aiming her weapon, she faced the criminal. Waves of killer intent radiated from the kunoichi, causing the woman to faint. Daniel stood his ground and resisted the urge to flee.

"Che, fancy-lookin' weapon you have there. It's just for show though, isn't it? Well, it doesn't scare me!"

He retrieved a .45 caliber pistol from the inside of his jacket and began his assault. He fired three shots at her unmoving figure.

_'Hah! Looks like someone's already given up. Hm? Where-?'_

"...the hell did she go?" he said aloud. Suddenly she reappeared in the exact spot in a defensive position.

"Hm, tricky one, eh?" He fired the rest of the barrel at her. Using her scythe, she sliced through the barrage of bullets without much effort. She muttered a few words, and the scythe began glowing a shimmering white. A blinding white wave emitted from the weapon which rushed toward him. Daniel remembered the discarded revolver from earlier and rolled toward it before he got hit. The wave collided with the building and left an enormous smoking hole in its place.

Frowning, she said, "Hmph! It missed. Oh well..." Hinata leaped into the air and swung her arm back. A pastel-colored energy encased the blade, which grew to twice its original size.

Focusing her resonance with her partner she shouted, "Witch Hunter!" and brought her arm downwards toward the intended target. With eyes wide, Daniel futilely covered himself with his arms. The attack hit dead-on and created a small explosion.

Dirt and pieces of rubble showered the area. When the clouds of dust cleared, Hinata immediately rushed to the woman's unconscious form to check her pulse. Sasuke had transformed out of his weapon self and walked over to the scaly red soul hovering above the ground where Daniel had died.

"Soul number 88," he announced in a bored tone. He examined the red orb, turning it in his hands and running his fingers through it. The soul hovered idly in his hand before suddenly detaching to become wisps of red light. He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and allowed the light to enter his body. As he exhaled, the remaining wisps which had encircled his body dispersed. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he walked over to Hinata. He set his stony gaze upon the woman passed out on the ground.

"She's alive; she's probably just experiencing shock from my sudden release of killer intent."

"Hn."

"Sasuke-kun, carry her. She needs to be brought to a medical center in case she was harmed," Hinata said in a commanding tone.

Sasuke smirked. He picked up the woman and slung her over his shoulder.

_'I guess little Hime has learned to toughen up a bit for battle.'_

"As you wish, Hina-hime. So, where to?"

Hinata's face went aflame, though she was able to control her habit of fainting. Activating her Byakugan, she searched for a medical center, hospital, or clinic. Her eyes landed on a clinic eighteen blocks from their current location.

"1.7 kilometers, southwest from here. It's the closest clinic I could find that is still opened." She stood up to brush the dirt from her jacket and skirt. Glancing over her shoulder to see his nod for confirmation, they flickered out of the area.

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_Author's Note: Erm, soooooo yeah. First story ever! Yay! [cue: streamers and confetti] Well, I had some minor changes done, but it wasn't saved the last time I edited the chapter. Again, newbie to writing, so it may not be the best of my work. Oh, and if you want me to continue, leave a review! Favs and rating is optional; I really appreciate ANY sort of helpful critique (i.e. "You should do this next time", "Make this a little more...", etc.). So, yeah. Thanks for reading this! [If you are one of those people who read author's notes.] _

_- 0-WickedMelody-0_


	2. News of the Newbies!

_A/N: It's me again, minna-san! I know, it's been awhile. I apologize for the delay. I tried to squeeze this in to my busy schedule, especially now that sports are gonna be another problem...anyway, I want to thank everyone who has liked/faved/followed! You guys are my inspiration. :) Now, onto reader reviews!_

_**malterex**__: Thank you for the helpful tip! I'll keep that in mind for future reference. _

_**FlyingArthurMintBunny**__: Thanks for liking it so far! I honestly thought no one would read this story. :) And don't worry; I LUV cute and shy Hina-chan! I could never take away her true personality, though she will have her bad-ass moments here-and-there. _

_**Damian Carter**__: Thanks. :3 It just seemed to fit. I like to get creative with names. _

_**KurotenshiHime360**__: Thanks for the support! Much appreciated. _

_**Ehlonna the demoness**__: I have plenty more. Just wait and see. :) _

_**Msdgirl**__: Umm, as of now, yes there will be some implied romance. I'm not sure of the coupling, though. (Don't hate me, but I can't live without SasuHina or KiMa. Sorry! I just dislike cannon couples for some reason. -.-') I'll probably make a poll a day or two from now. Or...right after this post. By the way, I read that fanfic too! The fanfic became my source of motivation to write this. _

_**kikigirl4321**__: Not in this chapter! Gotta build the suspense. ;)_

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**_Chapter 2: News of the Newbies!_**

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_~Death Weapon Meister Academy: Class Crescent Moon~_

"Alright, students, today we'll be dissecting these!"

Stein pulled a white sheet off a rectangular cage full of horn-tailed bullfrogs. They did nothing but sit and croak. The students were a bit unnerved by their unblinking amphibious eyes. "MWAHAHAHA-ahem. So get in pairs or whatever and get to work."

Everyone groaned when Stein assigned them another dissection. He left them the remaining ten minutes of class to complete the assignment and fill out the very complex diagram detailing the anatomy of a horn-tailed bullfrog. His obsession with cutting open any LIVING thing was starting to get on their nerves. The students had been conversing for half of the time, hoping to skip the assignment without him noticing. Within seconds he wheeled through the door looking disinterested.

"Did I mention this lab accounts for 75% of your overall grade this term? Oh, I didn't?" He shrugged and rested his head on the back of the chair he sat on, a cigarette lazily hanging from his mouth. Rings of smoke escaped from the lighted end.

Most of the students who were gullible enough to believe him went about rushing through the dissection. Many groans and cries of frustration filled the classroom. The ones smart enough to know he was lying just sat quietly in their desks, rolling their eyes at the predictable threat.

Maka sighed, slowly shaking her head at the students' pathetic attempts to finish the lab. _'It obviously isn't going to happen, so why even try?'_ She rested her head on her hand, observing the students hard at work. Some of the female students were biting their lips in concentration; tears glistened in their eyes.

"Honestly, I feel bad for them. They believe everything he says."

Soul shrugged his shoulders, leaning back in his desk and adjusting his headband. "Not our problem. Besides, who cares? They're just too gullible. Look, it's almost time." He glanced at the clock fixated on the wall over the door of the classroom. It read 2:59.

The minute hand was a few movements away from 3:00. He grinned when the bell finally rang, revealing his shark-like teeth. He heaved himself up and stretched. Maka stood behind him with her textbook in hand.

"Want to go check out the assignment board? Maybe there's something for us this time," she said in a hopeful voice.

_'I was so close to becoming a Death Scythe...how uncool.'_

"Yeah, whatever. I just wanna go home," he said casually. He had his hands behind his head, eyes closed as usual. He wasn't one to dwell on past mistakes; he went with whatever was thrown at him. However, he couldn't help but think about the "what if?" He couldn't help but sigh.

"Did you say something?" Maka asked. She had a puzzled look on her face, glancing around the corridor for the source of disturbance. Soul raised an eyebrow and shook his head. He gave her a doubtful look. They started when they heard a muffled, "Black*Star, DON'T!" followed by a shout.

"YAAAAAAHOOOOO!"

A crack had formed, spreading a few feet across before the wall collapsed. A cloud of smoke filled the air. After all the coughing and sputtering the smoke cleared, and Black*Star jumped through with a wide grin plastered onto his face, Tsubaki not far behind. Maka and Soul stared at them with widened eyes and gaping mouths.

"IT IS I, THE GREAT ASSASSIN, BLACK*STAR! Ahahahaha! HEY, SOUL! MAKA! What's up!?"

"Black*Star! I told you to use the door! Oh my, we are going to get into so much trouble..." Tsubaki said with an anxious expression. Her frantic gaze landed on Maka and Soul who were frozen with shock. Her worried expression turned into one of surprise. "Oh! Hello, Maka, Soul! Um..."

Maka shook her head to clear her thoughts and cheerfully smiled. No one could tell she was far beyond rage by her expression. The people in the area shivered as the temperature dropped a few degrees; well, everyone except Black*Star. His maniacal laughter pissed off Maka even further. Her eyes glinted evilly as she whipped out her textbook. Soul exchanged glances with Tsubaki, who sweatdropped and sighed.

"Black*Star...you IDIOT! Maka Chop!"

"ACK! DAMMIT, IT HURTS! The hell was that for?!" Black*Star yelled. He rubbed the throbbing wound atop his head which leaked a thin stream of blood.

"Hmph. How'd the mission go? You get the soul or what?" Soul asked casually. The joking tone in his voice went unnoticed by Black*Star, who was busy flexing his muscles. A confident smirk was plastered on his face.

"HAH! The bastard was too chicken to fight me, the greatest assassin who ever LIVED! AHAHAHA!"

"Lemme guess; he whooped your ass before you could land a scratch on him, huh?" The middle finger he was flashed gave Soul the answer he expected. He laughed uncontrollably, wiping at the tears flowing from his eyes.

Maka rolled her eyes before turning to Tsubaki.

"Didn't go well, did it?" She gave her a sympathetic pat on the back when the other girl sighed and shook her head.

"Ahem, excuse me for interrupting," Stein began, "Lord Death has asked for all of you to report to the Death Room." He twisted the screw in his head out of boredom, staring indifferently at the gaping hole in the wall. The light glinted off his round spectacles. "I'm going to ignore that. Hurry up, it's urgent. "

Everyone glanced at each other, wondering what would be so urgent and important as to meet in the Death Room. _'Remedial lessons!'_ they all thought in unison as they nodded in understanding. Once the group had reached the Death Room, Black*Star announced his presence.

"AHAHAHA! It is I, your God, Black*Star! Bow before me, you-"

"Shut up, asshole! Maka-Chop!" She huffed in annoyance and walked passed his body.

"Oh, Black*Star...not again." Tsubaki crouched next to her unconscious meister who was lying in a pool of his own blood.

"Ahhh~! Come! Come, everyone!" Shinigami-sama said. "I have important news for you."

"Uh...where's Kidd? And Liz and Patti? They're in our class, so they should be here, right?" Soul asked with a curious look.

"Ah, Kiddo-kun should be here soon! He's returning from his mission in Anubis. Oh! He's here~! Hello Kiddo! Liz! Patti!" Kidd walked into the room with the Thompson sisters.

"Hello, everyone, Chichiue. I apologize for being late. I was preoccupied with admiring Father's perfectly symmetrical school."

"Yeah, for THREE hours! It's bad enough we're always late for class. Aren't you even the least bit ashamed of being late to your Father's personal AND urgent meeting?" Liz accused. She was eyeing her freshly manicured nails. Patti was sitting on the floor laughing obnoxiouly. Her favorite stuffed giraffe stood next to her.

"Great~!" Shinigami-sama clapped his hands twice to gather attention. "Now that we are all here, I shall begin our meeting. I've gathered you all here because, well...I wanted you to be the first to know about the new students enrolled in your class! Exciting, no?"

"...what? That's what all this fuss was for?" Maka said in a dumbstruck voice. "New students?"

"Ahah, we get to mess with some newbies! Hear that, Black*Star?" Soul said turning towards Black*Star's general direction. His smirk bared his razor-sharp teeth. Black*Star jumped up, looking better than earlier. A fire burned in his jade eyes.

"YAAAAAAAH! New kids are stealing my spotlight! I, THE BIGGEST STAR IN SHIBUSEN, WILL TEACH THESE NEW KIDS WHO'S THE BOSS! C'mon, Soul! YAAAAAAHOOOOOOOO!" He raced out of the room with Soul. Shinigami-sama frantically waved his hands in the air.

"Wait! I wasn't finished explaining! Ah, phooey. I'll just continue here, with you all-eh!? Where did everyone go? Hm? What's this...?" He reached down and picked up a yellow sticky note. It was written in neat handwriting. "_'Chichiue, gone to watch Black*Star and Soul's pointless fight. Signed, DTK.'_ Oh, dear. This could be problematic. OH WELL! Their loss!" He hummed to himself and sipped his tea that had been prepared earlier.

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_~Bottom of Shibusen's Stairs~_

Hinata wrung her hands together nervously. Using her Byakugan, she had seen seven people waiting at the entrance of Shibusen. She bit her lip in hesitation before speaking.

"A-ano, maybe this w-was a b-bad idea. I-I'm sure Shinigami-sama h-has found r-replacements for-" Sasuke held an arm in front of her to prevent her escape. She swallowed the lump which had formed in her throat.

"Tch. What are you so worried about? The school students have never been a problem before; why is it now?" He glared at her in annoyance. With highly trained ears, one could hear the underlying concern expressed in his words. She lowered her head, shame filling her every thought.

"I'm...afraid. Of rejection. We aren't normal, Sasuke-kun. Yes, our former classmates may accept us, but the younger students may not. It just worries me," she admitted solemnly. Her voice was laced heavily with pain. Sasuke sighed and, with some reluctance, pulled her against himself.

"It's going to be fine, Hina-chan. Weren't you listening to Shinigami-sama? He told us the kids are very accepting. There's no need to worry." Hinata blushed profusely and buried her head against his chest. He blinked in surprise and relaxed a bit.

"Arigatou, Sasuke-kun." She pulled away, relishing the warmth he radiated. She felt touched by his comforting words. She was caught off-guard by the physical contact, since he rarely made any at all. She giggled when he turned his head away and cleared his throat. She knew he was blushing.

"Well, shall we?" He gestured to the stairs leading to Shibusen. Crouching low, she nodded firmly, and their bodies flickered for a moment before vanishing.

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"Dammit, what the hell is taking so long? Maka, can you see anything with Soul Perception?" Soul asked impatiently. His foot tapped against the floor irately. She narrowed her eyes at him and huffed.

"You could have asked in a more polite manner. Give me a sec." Maka closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. When she opened her eyes, her pupils had dilated, and the normally forest green color of her irises had faded into a delicate olive color. She furrowed her eyebrows in concentration.

"Well?! Anything? Ya see anything at all?" Black*Star shouted from his position. He stood upon the needle jutting from the middle hole of Shinigami-sama's mask.

"Black*Star, get down from there! You are ruining Father's perfect symmetry!" Kidd's left eye twitched in agitation as he looked up at Black*Star. He began hyperventilating and lapsed into a state of uselessness, muttering to himself through tears. Patti sat on the floor at his feet, laughing at his OCD attack, Liz standing on his other side. She rubbed the side of her face and slowly shook her head.

"Oh, come on. I swear, it's the fiftieth time you've done this today, Kidd. Just calm down and try not to think about it."

"You don't understand! What kind of shinigami cannot keep his own house symmetrical?! I'm nothing but trash! Good-for-nothing trash! Just leave me on the street to die..." Liz and Patti quickly exchanged glances and nodded.

"Patti..." Patti grinned wickedly.

"Hey, Kidd." She yanked him by his collar to make their eyes level. He whimpered in fear, his eyes continuously leaking tears. Her grin stretched into a sadistic smirk. "Shut the hell up."

"AWAAAAAAH! Patti is so mean to meeeee!" Kidd cried pathetically. After regaining his composure, his expression turned grim. He noticed Maka's gasp and knew he wasn't imagining the souls approaching.

"Kidd, you...?" His serious expression gave her the answer. His eyes were narrowed as he stared at the stairs ahead.

"Yes. I felt it. The new students have arrived."

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_A/N: Phew! Finally, finished chapter two! That took a while for me to finally post, I know. Hmmm...not much else I can say other than THANK YOU to all my readers! I'm glad I'm getting positive reviews. You all are just...amazing. All I can say. Review please!_

_Arigatou gozaimasu, minna-san!_

~ 0-WickedMelody-0


	3. The New Students Are Here!

_A/N: Hey again, minna-san! I realize this is probably late, even for me. Gomenasai! I just don't think it's good enough to publish so I do lots of revisions. GOMEN! Anyway, hope you likey this chappy! Sorry if it wasn't what you were expecting. Now onto..._

_**Reader Reviews!**_

_**FlyingArthurMintBunny**__: Yaaaaaay! Happy for the update?! So am I! :D_

_**Msdgirl**__: I KNOW, RIGHT?! I am in LOVE with SasuHina! I don't care what people say; they are my fave couple! KiMa, too! But...I do like SoMa. :) _

_**ArtisticAngel6**__: Woohoo! UPDATE HAS ARRIVED! _

_**SteinXMaka lov3r**__: I like your screen name. :) I think it's a cute couple. Anyway, thanks for liking it so far! Ready for this chappy?!_

_**kikigirl4321**__: And so, the Soul Eater gang meets their soon-to-be mentoirs._

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**_Chapter 3: The New Students Are Here!_**

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_~Outside, DWMA Courtyard~_

Maka's breathing became erratic, her heart thumping wildly against her chest. Her Soul Perception immediately cut the image of the souls which were approaching. Hundreds of questions were running through her mind, but one question had been made more obvious than the rest.

"Just what the heck ARE they?" she whispered worriedly.

"Eh? What's going on? Maka?" Soul questioned. "Did you find them?"

"Y-yes, I did. They are arriving." Maka steadied her breathing, unsure of what to think of what she had just witnessed. She clenched her gloved fists, bracing herself for any possible situation.

_'What was that? Their souls, they aren't normal. Though, Shinigami-sama must trust them. Otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed their enrollment.'_

"Alright," Soul said as he adjusted his headband, "time to give the new kids a welcome, Shibusen style."

He stood up and walked toward the middle of the area, hands shoved in his pockets with a smirk playing on his face. He hadn't been suspecting an attack aimed specifically at him.

"INCOMIIIIIIIING! DUCK, SOUL!"

Soul barely had time to react to Black*Star's outburst as two kunai were traveled in his direction. He fell to the ground on his back with a yelp. The knives clattered too the ground a few feet away from him.

"Arrrrgh, what the hell?" he grunted as he propped himself up on one arm. Maka had rushed to his side, kneeling beside him and offering assistance. He brushed her off, stating he felt fine. "I didn't get hurt or anything. Quit your worrying, I'm okay."

"Well, I'm sorry for looking out for you," huffed Maka. In reality, she was relieved to know Soul wasn't wounded.

_'Thank goodness he's alright.'_

"Here they come!" Kidd shouted. "Liz, Patti, transform!"

"Okay!" Patti laughed happily and transformed into a pistol.

"Oh, no. Not another fight." Liz had her hand on the side of her head. She glowed pink before transforming into a pistol. The Twin Demon Guns landed in Kidd's hands simultaneously, his pinkies on the triggers. He crouched low and crossed his arms.

Maka stood straight, her back rigid in a stately posture. Soul stood up slowly and shoved his left hand in his pocket. A cocky smirk spread across his face.

"Heh."

He slurped, and his right arm glowed pale blue before it transformed into a red-and-black-patterned blade of a scythe.

"Let's go, Soul."

Arm out-stretched, she grabbed the staff of her Weapon. She twirled the scythe between her fingers gracefully before holding it in front of her.

"You ready or what? My highly-sensitive ninja hearing can faintly track their footsteps. Damn, they move fast."

Black*Star appeared next to Maka holding Tsubaki in her kusarigawa form. He kept his focus on the seemingly endless array of stairs leading into Death City. The echo of their steps were very faint, but he managed to track their movement. Maka gripped the staff of her Weapon tightly, her gaze hardening with sharp focus for an upcoming battle. Kidd moved to stand on Maka's other side. His yellow, slitted eyes glinted with anticipation.

"What Chichiue has said is null and void. They are hostiles; they attacked us first."

"Agreed."

"Hell yeah, they did! And now we're gonna kick their asses!" With a start Black*Star jumped to the side, causing the other two to disperse from the area. Multiple shuriken and kunai cluttered to the ground where they formerly stood.

"Damn, they're fast. And Father is saying they're rookies?" Kidd said incredulously.

"Who ever said we were rookies?"

The three meisters turned around and faced the newcomer with shock and apprehension. Their stances were defensive, as if expecting him to attack. Sasuke merely raised an eyebrow. His stony expression never changed while he stood with his arms crossed. The more they observed him, the more the female Shibusen students found themselves swooning. They all released a dreamy sigh.

_'He's tall, dark, and mysterious. Not to mention good-looking,'_ Maka thought while softening her gaze. A slight blush brushed her cheeks. _'Crap, what am I thinking? Okay, Maka, calm down, calm down.'_

'_Oh my...his eyes are intense and look as though they can see through your soul. It seems like he could see anything with those eyes.'_ Tsubaki blushed a subtle pink.

'_Omigod, he's smokin' hot! And looks like a total badboy. Just my type of guy,'_ Liz thought with a thoughtful smile playing on her face.

'_Ahahaha! He has a duck butt on his head!'_ Patti cheered mentally. She knew she should remain silent for the moment.

The glaring continued for another minute before he sighed.

"This is getting nowhere. We can't waste our time with you three," Sasuke said coldly.

"What do you mean 'we'?" asked Maka curiously. "It's just you that we see."

Kidd regarded him cautiously. He tried to look into his soul, but he found his Soul Perception to be lacking in that area. He mentally cursed. _'Damn, my Perception is too weak to see souls.'_

"In order to attend this academy, you must have a partner."

"Yeah, I need to kick his ass! HURRY UP AND SHOW YOUR FACE, COWARD!" Black*Star was shaking in agitation. He kept hopping up and down, swinging the kusarigawa by the chain.

Sasuke glanced over his shoulder briefly before sighing. He rolled his eyes, closing them soon afterwards.

_Hinata, if I find you, I will carry you over here. I do not care what you say; I WILL do it._

With a small "Eep!", Hinata appeared beside Sasuke in a plume of smoke. She had her head down, her long fringe shadowing her eyes. She fidgeted a bit, shuffling her feet and poking her index fingers together. He nudged her none-too-gently with his elbow.

"A-ah. Ano, h-hello, m-minna-san. I h-hope you can, a-ano, forgive m-me f-for earlier. I-I attacked on impulse. It i-is inexcusable. G-gomen." She bowed stiffly in apology.

When she stood upright, the guys could not do anything but stare. Silky, beautiful midnight locks reached the waist, the tips curled slightly. The pink tint of her face contrasted nicely with her milky complexion. The manner in which she acted had the guys falling; how she bit her lower lip and kept avoiding eye-contact.

'_Pretty hot. Che, she's worthy to be a goddess,'_ Black*Star thought with a slight smirk playing on his face. _'Too bad she's the one I gotta fight.'_

_'Holy crap, she's freaking hot. And that huge rack...'_

Soul transformed out of his Weapon form and collapsed on the floor in a pool of his own blood. Random gibberish spouted from his mouth. He twitched and writhed as many mature images flashed in his mind. Maka knelt beside him, fuming about his inappropriate behavior.

"Soul, I swear..."

As she moved to lift him up, Hinata appeared next to her within a mere second.

"Ano, I can bring h-him to the n-nurse's o-office. It-it's no trouble a-at a-all, r-really."

Maka froze at her sudden presence but seemed to relax as she spoke.

"Thanks, that would be a huge help, ah...?"

Hinata became stricken with horror. Her mouth dropped open in a small 'o'.

"Eh? I h-haven't introduced myself? Gomen, gomen!" she apologized. With a short and polite bow, she said, "I am Scythe Meister Hinata H-Hyuuga, partner to S-Sasuke U-Uchiha. Please, forgive my i-ignorance."

"No, no, no need to apologize. Although you did threaten us, it is we who should be apologizing."

Kidd stepped toward Hinata, arms folded behind his back. With poised posture, he strode toward her. He thanked Shinigami no one could hear the inner turmoil in his mind which worsened as he got closer.

_'Dear Shinigami, she's perfect. Her hair, her face, everything. She is the epitome of beauty and innocence. As if she was an angel. For all I know, she very well could be.' _

He cleared his throat before speaking, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Death the Kidd, son of Lord Death himself."

"Hey, Hinata. You better get that kid to the infirmary soon. He's drowning in his own blood," Sasuke said. Hinata looked alarmed and nodded her head vigorously.

"Hai! Excuse me, minna-san, but I'm g-going to h-have to attend t-to this m-matter."

"Ah! Right! Thanks again for the help. The girls and I could show Sasuke around the school while you're gone," said Maka.

"Yeah, thanks. It's really nice of you to do this, considering you're new and all. And, it's no trouble showing your partner around," Liz commented. She smiled and waved. Patti waved as well, leaning on her sister's shoulder with a wide grin. Tsubaki timidly smiled and offered a polite "Hello."

Sasuke shook his head. _I've had enough girls swooning over me for a lifetime._

"That won't be necessary." His indifferent tone of voice caused the girls to flinch.

_Ne, Sasuke-kun, don't be rude. They're offering to take their time and devote it to you, if only a little while. I'll be back soon, so try to get along? This is a long assignment. We are in charge of watching over them; we should get to know them better. _Hinata pouted in his direction.

Sasuke grunted with reluctance. Hinata nodded gently in appreciation, happy to know he was willing to try to get along with other people. Before she started walking through the double doors, Kidd and Black*Star rushed to escort her. Sasuke scowled at their eagerness, but he resumed his usual glaring when the girls crowded around him.

"Allow us to accompany you. You might get lost within Chichiue's labyrinth of a school." Kidd smiled politely, his face faintly turning pink when she smiled back at him.

"A big star like me has to watch out for pretty ladies like yourself, heh." Not to be outdone, he flashed her a grin which had her blushing and giggling. He flexed his arms and grinned cheekily. Kidd's left eye twitched, and he growled in annoyance. The three meisters left with the unconscious Weapon, leaving Sasuke alone with the females. His eye twitched violently, having overheard Black*Star's arrogant remark.

"I swear, if they try anything to take advantage of her..."

Maka looked at him with surprise, then laughed with amusement.

"Oh, don't worry about them. They're harmless. As you saw earlier, Soul is just a hormonal teenage guy. He's perverted, sure, but he's a great partner. Even if he is a lazy bum."

Maka muttered the last part to herself. She didn't expect anyone to hear her, so she was caught off-guard when she heard him "Hm" in amusement. She blushed a bit, scratching her cheek with her finger in an attempt to stop the burn.

"Yeah, Kidd is a bit crazy at times. He's a symmetry freak, but he can act normal as long as nothing is asymmetrical. He has an OCD attack if you mention the stripes in his hair or purposely make something asymmetrical." Liz inspected her nails, occasionally glancing in his direction.

"Yeah! Kiddo is crazy, but he's nice and super funny when he freaks!" Patti exclaimed. She clapped her hands once and grinned widely.

"Mh-hm!" Tsubaki agreed. "Black*Star is a bit exuberant. He believes he can surpass God one day. And although he may be a bit annoying, he's a good person at heart."

Sasuke shifted his stony gaze around the group surrounding him. He chose to put his hands in his pockets.

"So," he began, "what are your names?"

"We are the Thompson Sisters. Liz and Patti Thompson, Twin Demon Guns, partners to Death the Kidd," the Thompsons recited. They leaned with their backs to the other's. Patti held her hand up in a peace-sign. Liz had her arms folded, trying to seem nonchalant to impress him.

"I'm Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, Weapon; partnered to Black*Star." She bowed to be polite. He nodded to acknowledge her.

"Hm, the Nakatsukasa Clan? The prestigious lineage of ancient ninja weapons. Do you know of the Uchiha and Hyuuga clans, then?" He seemed indifferent when she shook her head solemnly. He shifted his gaze to Maka. "And you are...?"

"I'm one-star, Scythe Technician Maka Albarn." She had her hands behind her back, a proud smile on her face. He nodded once, seemingly ignoring her. His gaze was fixed on the double doors where his meister had entered. Sensing his anxiety, Maka continued with a polite smile.

"Well, shall we begin?"

* * *

_A/N: Well, minna-san? What did you think? I promise a separate fight for each partner/team against their mentoirs. Hmmmm, this is going to be a delayed scene, however. Firstly, I need to decide whether they go against Hinata and Sasuke teamed up, or a two-on-one, the one being either Sasuke or Hinata. Then, I have to set up their meeting with Shinigami-sama. This is where you wonderful people come in. In the review section, I'd like people to decide this for me. Probably not the most efficient way to do this, but seriously, I'm very conflicted about this._

***Update**: _Gomen, minna! It seems I confused people with my previous author's note, so here are the clarifications. Also, my poll is still up if there were people who didn't vote yet. _

Okay, label in review as goes:

a) Separate fights 

b) One fight against Hinata & Sasuke [choose who fights them] 

c) All-against-one [Hinata or Sasuke]

d) One meister/weapon team against one [Hinata or Sasuke]

OR

e) All against both

_Okay, well, that was a LOT to write. Hope you weren't too disappointed with this chapter! Arigatou for reading!_

_0-WickedMelody-0_


	4. Awkward?

_Minna-san! It's been soooooooo freakin' long. Words can't express how depressed I've been about keeping my story on hold while I had final exams, projects, etc. D; GOMENNASAI! *bows to the floor in front of a raging mob of readers* I have...even more sad news in my ending Author's Note..._

_BUT IT'S REVIEW CORNER TIME! Whoo!_

_**KurotenshiHime360: Haha, arigatou! It felt...very strange when I wrote it. During my proofs, I kept asking myself,"Did I really just write that?!" Anyway, I'm not used to writing in that sense. :) I'm glad you found it enjoyable!**_

_**ArtisticAngel6: Arigatou! As promised, the new (yet short-ish) chapter! And thanks for choosing! :) I'm so lost on how I should arrange the fight scene. And, in case anyone is wondering, it won't be shown until the gang gets to know Hinata and Sasuke's background. **_

_** .556: Arigatou for the support! It's been a fun experience having people read my story and giving feedback. I love everyone's support! :D Anyway, thanks for choosing! Gomen if the labeling was confusing...**_

_** kikigirl4321: Awww! Ok! *posts new chapter* Here it is! :) Enjoy~!**_

_**Ehlonna the Demoness: Arigatou for the vote! Expect the fight scene a chapter or two after this one. **_

_**Anonymous: I hope you get this, Anonymous! As (hurriedly) promised, new update! :D Hope you're able to read this message...arigatou for your feedback! I'm glad people are putting up with my spotty updates and developing chapters. Fight scene: keep your patience, it will comment eventually. :) **_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Well, that is all I have to reply to. My dearest readers, __**please **__review! Onegai shimasu? If you want a duel, battle royale, one-on-one, etc., please vote in the review section! It will also motivate (meaning, pressure) me to continue with my story! Sooooo keep that in mind! I hope you all enjoy this semi-short chapter._

_Also, keep in mind that language will be coarse throughout the story._

_**Terms to Know**__:_

_hitai-ate__: forehead protector; given to a Genin upon graduation from Academy Student_

_Chichiue__: "honorable father"; Kidd is refers to Shinigami-sama as Chichiue in the manga._

_"__Ano__...": means "Um..." or "Uh..."_

* * *

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**_Chapter 4: Awkward...?_**

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Hinata felt a bit awkward with the obvious tension between Kidd and Black*Star. With her Byakugan activated, she didn't have to take off the hitai-ate to know where she was heading. It also allowed her to see the two glaring at each other. The tension rose to near-hostile levels. She began to panic.

_'Oh no, this isn't good. They might break into a fight. Ooooh, this is not good at all! Think of something to say. Think!'_

"A-ano..." The two guys turned their attention back to her, their eyes trained intently on her face. She bit her lower lip. She opened her mouth to speak, but a groan snapped her attention to the boy in her arms. The three meisters stopped in the middle of the hallway, a few doors from the nurse's office.

"Ngh, wha...where the hell...?" Soul held his hand against his forehead and looked around with a dazed expression. His distorted vision slowly became clear. Hinata jumped back an inch in surprise but kept her grip firm.

"Ah! Y-you're awake," she said softly. Soul's eyes widened when he saw what position he currently was in, his body becoming rigid and stiff. He stared at her, mouth agape, in shock before composing himself and awkwardly clearing his throat.

"Er-! I'm fine, you don't need to carry me anymore," he said in a rush. Hinata helped him stand since he was a bit dizzy and disoriented from the blood loss. Once his feet touched the floor, he stepped away from her. A pink blush reached his cheeks which he tried hiding by looking elsewhere. His hands were shoved in his pockets. Kidd smirked to himself, folding his arms across his chest.

_'Who's the cool one, now?'_ he thought cockily.

"SOOOOOUL! FINALLY, YOU'RE AWAKE! Man, you were out for 10 minutes!" Black*Star slapped his arm, making Soul wince in pain. He proceeded to point and laugh at him for his "lameness!", rolling on the floor with tears streaking from his eyes. Soul glared at him, stepping on the neon-haired assassin.

"Bastard...shut the hell up! I'm not lame!" he yelled.

"Soul! Cut it out! There's no need for you to beat him up at the moment. You can do that when we're finished escorting Ms. Hinata," Kidd chastised. He glanced at the girl next to him, who kept her head down. "I don't think Ms. Hinata wants to see people fight."

Soul blinked, looked down at Black*Star's pained face, and dug his foot deeper into his stomach before stopping. Black*Star stood up, rubbing the bruised area tenderly.

"Sorry about that. It's always like this, so don't mind us if you see us fighting, alright?"

Hinata took a deep breath and lifted her head. Once again, the guys could only stare in shock. They stared at the girl in disbelief. Black*Star raised an accusing finger at her which the other two thought was pointless.

"Y-y-you're b-b-b-blind?! How the hell am I supposed to fight you if you're blind?! Damn, this sucks!" he whined.

"Ano..."

"Dude, how could she be blind? She would be completely helpless! Even with her partner!" He saw Hinata flinch slightly and caught his implication. "Ahhh, no offense."

"It's o-okay. I-I know you don't r-really mean i-it," she replied.

"So, how are you able to see with that headband tied around your eyes?" Kidd asked curiously. Her giggle made them blush lightly. She reached the back of her head and untied the knot holding her hitai-ate in place. She gripped her hitai-ate tightly and opened her eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the lighting.

"S-see? I-I'm not b-blind. M-my eyes h-have no color. I-it's a h-hereditary trait i-in my f-family. Also, this i-is called a-a hitai-ate. I-it's a forehead p-protector."

She analyzed each of them, judging from their expressions whether or not they were repulsed. Black*Star's scrutinizing gaze bothered her; it didn't seem normal for him to be thinking so hard.

"E-eh?" Black*Star stood in front of her, nose-to-nose, staring into her eyes with curiosity. Her face immediately burst into a full blush, the unbearable burn returning to her cheeks. She stopped breathing, whispering,"Too close..." before fainting. She fell forward, her body sagging against Black*Star's. He caught her in his arms and held her bridal-style. He looked frantically at Kidd and Soul who were glaring at him enviously.

"Shit! She fainted! Quick, to the nurse's office!"

The three rushed to the oak double doors with the sign "Nurse's Office" jutting out of the wall above. The doors were kicked open by Black*Star who found an empty bed and gently placed her on it. A stray strand of hair lay strewn across her pale face. With a ghost of a touch, he tucked the strand behind her ear. He smiled, in spite of himself, at her peaceful expression.

"Geez, dude, that was so uncool! She's hella shy, and when you got waaay too close she fainted!" Soul exclaimed. Kidd stood next to him, with the hitai-ate inhand. He looked at Black*Star sternly, concern evident in his eyes.

"Black*Star, that was highly inappropriate! You knew she was shy-"

"I didn't! Dumbasses, shut the fuck up! You're gonna scare her into waking up," he whispered harshly. The two boys blinked in surprise. Kidd and Soul smirked knowingly. Black*Star stared back in confusion. "What?"

Kidd shook his head. "It's nothing. She dropped this when she fainted." He walked over to where she lay. Staring at the foreign object in his hand, he placed it next to her motionless form. His hand brushed hers for a second, and he relished the feeling. The other two just stared as Kidd backed away from the bed. Soul's eyes softened at the sight of the sleeping girl.

_'She's hot, even when she's sleeping.'_ He inwardly grimaced. _'No, no, "hot" isn't the right word. "Pretty"? No, still not it. She's...she's-'_

"Beautiful," he whispered unconsciously. He moved to cover his mouth with his hand but stopped when he saw they weren't paying attention. A smirk stretched across his face. _'Heh, probably too captivated by her beauty to notice anything else.'_

"Mmmm..."

The guys focused all their attention on the pearl-eyed beauty who was rubbing her eyes.

_'Cute,'_ they all thought.

Hinata blinked away the bleariness in her vision and looked around the room. Her eyes widened when she recognized her surroundings.

"Eh? Why am I-I in the n-nurse's o-office? Did I g-get wounded?" She looked at herself but didn't find wounds marring her pale skin.

"No, no. You're hopefully fine. You...erm...fainted," Kidd answered awkwardly. She still looked confused. He shook his head and looked at Black*Star. The self-proclaimed "God" gulped and fixed his gaze firmly on the ground beneath him. Kidd coughed and threateningly eyed him.

"Ah. Sorry...for, uh, earlier when I got too close...I didn't think you would faint like that." The neon-haired assassin scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

"...oh...it's–it's fine! It was m-my fault, really. I...have a t-tendency to f-faint like that o-often," the Hyuuga all but whispered in an embarrassed voice. She swung her legs over the bed and stood up. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt and jacket. Before anyone could say a word, Sasuke came bursting through the doors.

"Hinata! Are you alright? I tried talking to you directly, but I couldn't get a response." A dark blush covered her face as she explained the incident with Black*Star.

"The resonance link had been cut when I passed out, so we weren't able to communicate," she said thoughtfully. "Shall we try now?"

Sasuke sighed heavily, then nodded. Both closed their eyes as they concentrated on their Soul Resonance.

"What the hell are they doing?" whispered Black*Star.

"I believe it is a form of Soul Resonance. Don't ask me; this is new to me, too," replied Kidd.

_'I shall ask Chichiue about this. I still do not know much about them...'_

A surge of power emanated from the unique duo, momentarily empowering the inhabitants of the room.

"Whoa, this is so cool," Soul said. His right arm instantly changed into the scythe's blade. As quick as it came, the power subsided and became more subdued.

"It works perfectly! Ano...gomen, for worrying you earlier." Hinata shuffled her feet and gazed at the floor beneath them. Sasuke gave her a reassuring pat on her head, eliciting a fierce blush from the petite female.

"That was REALLY COOL~!" Patti exclaimed. She was the first among the females to enter the room. The others shuffled into the room after Patti's entrance.

"A-ah. Minna-san. Ano...I think it is time we told you more about ourselves. Please, let us discuss this with Shinigami-sama. I'm sure he would like to see us, anyway," Hinata spoke in a confident voice. The Shibusen students shrugged and were out of the room within seconds.

* * *

_A/N: I understand if you were a bit...disappointed with this chapter. I just wanted to update soon since it's already the new year! Not to mention, since TODAY is my BIRTHDAY, I thought it wouldn't be fair if I didn't give something to you wonderful readers as a celebration. :) Please bear with me, don't give up hope on me!_

_I will definitely explain the Soul Resonance link between Hinata and Sasuke in the next chapter. _

_0-WickedMelody-0_


	5. Valentine's Omake

_A/N: Konban wa, minna! Gomen! This is WAY overdue; terribly sorry about that. The usual schoolwork and such...anyway, expect an update within the month. I'm hoping to finish editing this week, so check frequently! _

__**Warning**: This omake contains SasuHina fanservice. It's mostly just fluff. If you dislike this pairing, please don't read. It's unnecessary to post flames just because you dislike the pairing. You have been warned.

They are NOT officially paired in this story. As this is just an omake, or an extra, this in _**no way**_ affects the storyline.

* * *

_"Matte!": "Stop!"_

_"Nan de?": "Why?"_

_"Ano...": "Um..."_

_"Iie...": "No..."_

_"Nani?": "What?"_

_"gakis": "brats"_

* * *

**_Valentine's Day Omake_**

Hinata walked to the kitchen, a slight bounce in her step while humming a short melody. She felt excited about Valentine's Day, even if it wasn't her favorite celebratory day. She loved giving homemade treats to her friends. As she entered the kitchen, Hinata stared in horror.

"S-Sasuke-kun! Matte!"

Sasuke froze in mid-chew, his hand poised above a heart-shaped cookie. He blinked, then glared at her. Hinata narrowed her eyes at him, furrowing her eyebrows when she did so. He finished chewing before asking,"Nan de?"

Her right hand twitched as it rested right above the flap of her weapon pouch. _'How dare he eat those cookies!'_ She clenched and released a long sigh. She was tempted to throttle him on the spot.

"Those are for the kids. That's why," she explained. He stared at her indifferently. He grabbed the cookie he was about to eat earlier and stuffed it in his mouth. Crossing his arms, he chewed the softened cookie. He savored the sweet flavor of warm milk chocolate melting in his mouth.

"Hmph. You didn't make me anything," came his dry retort. She sighed once more, smothering her face in her hands while shaking her head.

"Sasuke-kun..."

He glanced at her briefly before staring, dumbfounded, at a small plate of snicker doodle hearts on the counter behind her. He gulped a bit louder than intended and put down what was going to be his fifth cookie.

"Ano..."

She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and sighed, a hint of exasperation in her actions. She had already known he had a small sweet tooth; when he did crave something sweet, it had to be subtle otherwise he wouldn't dare try it. Snicker doodles were perfect for him; not very sweet, very aromatic, and fairly easy to make.

"Iie*...I can make another batch. Ano, what are you going to give to them?" She received a blank stare and a shrug. Her mouth dropped in disbelief.

"Nani? I'm not giving them anything. Why should I, anyway? They're disobedient gakis who won't accept our authority over them," he deadpanned. Sasuke brushed past her in the doorway, but she took him by the elbow before he could walk away.

"Iie. You're going to help me make more whether you like it or not," she said firmly. The determination in her voice told him he was in for it. He growled in frustration.

"Fine! Just so you know, I have never baked before." She giggled and dragged him back to the kitchen.

"No problem~ I can teach you."

-1 hour later-

"Sasuke-kun! You're stirring too much, it's becoming too mushy. Here."

Hinata took the mixing bowl from him. When their hands touched, they created a small plume of flour. The male scowled and tried to blow it away from his face only to create a bigger plume.

"Damn, this flour is everywhere." His eye twitched as he saw his reflection. His whole upper body was covered in a thin layer of flour. Glancing at Hinata, he glared enviously.

_'How the hell are you spotless?'_

She paused her actions and replied, "Apron, Sasuke-kun."

He groaned in annoyance and moved on to place the cookies on a baking sheet. When he finished, Hinata took the tray and stuck it in the oven.

"Hah, there. Now we just need to wait for a bit."

-30 minutes later-

Hinata watched the timer diligently, waiting for the remaining seconds to be over. Sasuke leaned against the counter next to the oven. His arms were crossed, eyes closed. The enticing aroma of chocolate chip cookies wafted through the kitchen, enveloping the two in a warm and inviting atmosphere. Everything felt...peaceful.

_Ding._

"AH! Yes! They're finished!" Hinata exclaimed. She turned off the oven and removed the tray. She inhaled deeply and basked in the sweet scent.

"Hn." Sasuke had an eye open, lazily watching her as she took a cookie and bit into it. A ghost of a smile passed over his lips. He enjoyed seeing her childish side.

"Mmm...!" She licked her lips, smearing more melted chocolate over her mouth. Her eyes were closed; she couldn't see the mischievous smirk on his face, nor did she notice him close the distance between them.

"Hinata." Her eyes immediately snapped open, widening when she saw his face inches from her own. She blinked owlishly and gulped. The hand holding the half-eaten cookie trembled.

"A-a-ano, Sasuke-kun...?" He steadied her hand and ate the rest of the cookie. She attempted to pull her hand away, but he stopped her and raised it to his mouth. He rested her chocolate-covered index finger on his bottom lip. His tongue glided over its tip, flicking it gently, and stroked her entire finger. She whimpered and turned her head away in embarrassment.

"Mmm, not bad," he teased after releasing her hand. She held her hand against her chest, nursing it as if it'd been burned. She didn't dare glance in his direction; her face was flushed a light shade of red. He stepped up to her and held her waist.

"Sasuke-kun? N-nani...?" she gasped. He tipped her chin up and smirked.

"You have chocolate on your face. Let me help you get it off..." With each word he spoke, he moved closer until the gap between them closed. His lips descended upon hers, his tongue licking fervently and begging for entrance. Hinata moaned softly, her hands holding his shoulders.

Nearly a minute after, Sasuke pulled away slowly and rested his forehead against hers. Both were breathing heavily. Her flustered expression made him smirk triumphantly. She glared and smacked his chest, causing him to widen his smirk.

"You knew they were watching, didn't you?" she accused. She sighed tiredly at the shrug of his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her from behind.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Hinata," he whispered in her ear. She smiled and closed her eyes.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Sasuke."

* * *

In the bushes below their apartment

"Dammit! So they ARE a couple! I knew it!" an irritated Liz yelled. She had been watching them with a pair of binoculars. She threw them on the floor and groaned angrily. "Of course I can't get the hottest guy at school 'cause he's taken!"

"Careful, Liz! These aren't mine," Maka warned. She picked them up and blew the dirt off. "And anyway, it's not like we can do anything about it. Just accept that you can't have him."

_'Although, I can't either...oh, well,'_ she thought with a small frown.

"I had a feeling they were closer than they let on," Tsubaki said. "But, that doesn't mean they're an official couple."

The other two stared at her incredulously. She blinked and tilted her head to the side.

"Did I...say something, wrong?" Liz rolled her eyes and shook her head. Maka sighed. "Well, what if it's true? They could've just been, you know, playing around."

"You're crazy, Tsubaki. Did you see the way they were making out? And the way they look at each other?! They have to be a couple," Liz reasoned.

"I don't know," Maka said unsurely, "she does have a valid point. The chances are fairly low, but it's possible."

"Well, whatever," sighed Liz. "Let's head to the mansion. I need my chocolate ice cream..."

"Patti! We're leaving," Tsubaki called. A second later Patti jumped down from a tree and followed the three, skipping happily. She was oblivious to the saddened atmosphere.

_'Good thing they didn't realize they're gifts were missing!'_ she thought proudly.

On a rooftop a few buildings away

"It's official; Ms. Hinata is taken," Kidd announced solemnly. He stared at the rose in his hand. He handpicked the rose from his father's hidden garden: 8 inches in diameter, 4 thorns along an 8-inch stem. The bloom itself had already been symmetrical.

"Ah, damn. This blows. You sure about that, Kidd?" Soul asked. He received a nod. A small, heart-shaped box in his palm. He traced the outline of the box and sighed. Inside were homemade chocolates he specially made for her. He had perfected his family's own recipe.

"Goddamn! Damn that stupid pretty boy!" Black*Star angrily yelled. A teddy bear sat on top of a pink envelope by his feet. The bear held a heart with I Luv U sewn on the front.

"It's no use getting angry. What good does that do?" Kidd said calmly. The rose had fallen from his hand which went unnoticed by him.

"Look, we don't know that for sure. C'mon, guys, don't give up hope yet." Soul tried to lighten up the mood. The box of chocolates lay on the ground next to him.

"Dunno, man. Kidd saw it himself. Guess we gotta move on." Black*Star looked somewhat angry; though, in his eyes a person could see heartbreak.

"Alright. Let's leave. The girls are probably waiting for us," said Kidd. They jumped, building to building, back to the mansion.

After making sure they left, Blair emerged from the shadows in her neko form. She sauntered over to where they gathered and looked at the various gifts, abandoned, on the floor.

"Aw~! Poor guys...Nya! Blair can do something!"

She nudged all the gifts into a pile. She giggled and raised a paw.

"Pum-pum-pumpkin!" A small jack 'o' lantern rose up from the underneath the gifts. She waved her paw in the apartment's direction. The lantern floated speedily in the same direction.

"Nyaaa~ Hinata is a lucky girl. I hope she enjoys her gifts, nyaaa~"

* * *

_A/N: Ahhh, finally finished. It's about 10:00 PST right now. So glad I finished this! Thank goodness...So, my lovely readers, how did you like it? What are your opinions? I'm kinda curious...since this is the first kissing scene I've written. _

_*In this case, she's saying that it's fine. Ex. "No, it's fine..."_

_Anyway, thanks for your support! All your reviews are amazing, and I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed, favorited, followed; ARIGATOU~! _

_Happy Valentine's Day! Eto, hope you enjoyed your Valentine's Day._

_0-WickedMelody-0_

* * *

**P.S. Heya, readers! Anyone notice Hinata left off the honorific when she said Happy Valentine's Day? ;) Leave a review or PM me if you know why it's significant. The first 3 people who give me the correct answer will win a oneshot dedicated to their fave pairing in this fanfic. **

**Good luck, minna~!**


	6. You Can't Be Serious!

"Normal dialogue"

_'Thoughts'_

_Hinata and Sasuke telepathically communicating _

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_**Chapter 5: You Can't Be Serious!**_

"Ah! Just in time!" Shinigami-sama proclaimed enthusiastically. He waved a cartoonish hand, gesturing for the group to come forward. They stood attentively in a semi-circle formation. "Hinata-chan, Sasuke-kun! Welcome back to the academy! I see you've already met your protégés."

"Did I just hear that correctly? **Protégés?**" Maka asked incredulously. Her forest green eyes flickered between Shinigami-sama and the two diligently standing near him. "Are you saying they will be our mentors?"

"What is the meaning of all this? Are you to say that these new transfers are to be teaching us?" Kidd asked in disbelief.

"WHAT?! I CAN'T HAVE WEAKLING NEWBIES LIKE THEM TEACH ME, THE GREAT BLACK*STAR!"

"What the hell? You can't be serious, Shinigami-sama!" The arguing continued a few moments more. A few insults were flung at the supposed "new students." Everyone disapproved of the idea of having academy students as their teachers.

"Excuse me...please settle down," Hinata said gently. She was ignored. Her temper began to rise from the lack of respect they were showing her. "Quiet down, now...h-hey!"

Sasuke watched amusedly as she tried getting them to settle down. He knew it would only be a matter of seconds before she uses the full potential of her voice. Shinigami-sama sensed the oncoming anger and sweatdropped.

"Oh, dear..."

"**_URUSAI!_**" All conversations ended as they focused on Hinata. The Shibusen students were fairly surprised at how much volume she was able to muster in one yell. Patty whimpered and hid behind Liz, peeking fearfully over her shoulder.

In a stern tone of voice, she berated, "Have respect for your elders. What Shinigami-sama has said is correct; you all, from this point on, are protégés under our supervision."

"Respect us as you would your professors," Sasuke added.

"But why," Liz angrily asked, "do we have to listen to you? You're our equals! You're not even old enough to be a professor here!"

"Will you just shut it and let us explain? You do not fully understand the situation, therefore you cannot go about assuming such ludicrous notions." He glared harshly at all of them, instilling discipline within each of them.

"Now, now, Sasuke-kun. This is just a bit much for them to take in...no need to be so harsh," Shinigami-sama playfully admonished. "...yet..."

Hinata faced him. Her mouth had been pulled into a tight frown. Doubts slowly crept into her mind; doubts about her assignment being fulfilled without trouble.

_Well, we were doing well until they discovered our purpose for coming here. Time to explain ourselves._

"Shinigami-sama, shall we be the ones to explain?" she asked curiously.

"By all means, please do. This way we all may better understand each other."

"Hai...as some of you may know, we are from Japan. However, you probably do not know where in Japan we are from. This place we called home is Konohagakure."

"Konoha-no-what?" Black*Star said. He had a dumbfounded look on his face, as did a few others. Maka's eyes were narrowed in concentration. Hinata expected her to explain it herself; she figured she was the type to do some leisurely reading.

_'There's no doubt she has uncovered a book or two about the Elemental Countries. Though, not much information, the books are more or less reliable.'_

"Konohagakure. I...I think it's a place in Japan that isn't easily accessible, am I right?" Maka asked uncertainly. Sasuke nodded at her answer.

"Anything else you know?" She pondered the question for a minute before shaking her head briskly.

"Hn. Black*Star," he addressed the young assassin,"do you know anything about the Elemental Countries? Or anything about the Hidden Villages?"

"How the hell should I know about any of that crap?!"

"Black*Star-kun, please act in a more appropriate manner. He only asked a mere question. The reason we ask is because of your ancestry. You see, the Hoshizoku clan had been a...ah, former infamous clan within the Village Hidden in the Leaves," Hinata explained with precision. Her unconfident, shy self had been replaced with a more dignified persona. She took a deep breath and exhaled.

_This is going to be difficult, huh, Sasuke-kun?_ He inclined his head and glanced in her direction.

"Wait, so Black*Star is related to this hidden place in Japan?" Soul clarified for himself. He looked very puzzled while the onslaught of new information kept coming. The others seemed to be overwhelmed also.

"Yes."

"This, hidden village...what is it exactly?" Tsubaki curiously asked. She seemed to be completely lost on the matter, yet at the same time very intrigued.

"Further expanding on the Hidden Villages; they are located within the Elemental Countries. There are ten major lands: Sora no Kuni, Yuki no Kuni, Tetsu no Kuni, Nami no Kuni, Kaze no Kuni, Kaminari no Kuni, Tsuchi no Kuni, Oto no Kuni, Mizu no Kuni, and Hi no Kuni."

"Er...what?" The group, excluding Maka who was furiously scribbling in her notebook, had a blank look on their face. Hinata internally groaned, realizing they didn't understand a single word of Japanese. Sasuke cleared his throat and glared pointedly at Hinata. Shinigami-sama sweatdropped.

"Er...Hinata-chan? I don't think they'll understand Japanese."

_They don't speak our language. It's going to be difficult for them to understand __if you're lecturing them in a language they've never learned._

_Gomen..._ She faced Shinigami-sama and bowed. He pat her on the head a few times.

"The countries she has named are as follows: The Lands of Sky, Snow, Iron, Waves, Sand, Wind, Lightning, Earth, Water, and Fire. The Land of Fire is where Konoha resides," Sasuke said with a flourish.

"So...theoretically speaking, Black*Star is somehow related to this "Konoha"? All members of the Star Clan, save for Black*Star, had been eradicated by Shibusen around thirteen years ago. What is the significance with this relationship?" Kidd questioned suspiciously. The more his "mentors" spoke of the Elemental Countries, the more Kidd doubted what they were saying is true.

_'I do, however, need to take into account Chichiue's obvious trust within these two. What they're saying is improbably; who the hell would believe this?'_

Maka intently listened to Sasuke, her hand trembling with the adrenaline rush she received from learning.

"The Hoshizoku, or the Star*Clan, was somewhat of an ally to Konoha several years back. True, they were not fully trusted; however, some of the Elders recognized their talents as ninja. Albeit, their powers might not have been equal to upper-ranked shinobi, or any of the highly respected clans within the village."

"What the hell do you mean!? The Star*Clan used to be the most feared band of assassins in the world!" Black*Star yelled in Sasuke's face. "And you're telling me that these so-called "_shee-nu-bee_" are better than they were? Better than ME?!"

Sasuke stared at him with a level gaze, boredom evident in his eyes. This "assignment_"_ was taking a toll on his temper. He didn't know if he could handle Black*Star's outbursts much longer.

_'This insolent gaki should know his place. I'll need to give him "extra training" along with his lesson plans. That should teach him not to disrespect his higher-ups.'_

"They were better than the lower-ranked; White*Star's power without a Demon Weapon equaled that of a Chunin."

"Rankings are determined after completing a series of exams. You all don't need to know about this now. We shall return to this subject during your assigned classes with us. In addition with the normal curriculum you currently are enrolled in, Sasuke or I will pull all of you out of class for extra lessons," Hinata continued.

"Now, now, don't be like that! You all are very lucky to have Hinata and Sasuke as personal instructors," Shinigami-sama gently admonished when the group whined and tried to protest. "Not to pick favorites or anything, but you are looking at the finest meister and weapon pairing this school has seen in years. You all should be mature about the situation. So, if either of them reports insubordination from ANY one of you, that person shall be demoted to the N.O.T. class **immediately**."

A threatening aura crept into the room. The Shibusen students were intimidated, knowing the source of the disturbance came from Shinigami-sama. They tried their best to conceal their discomfort, although a few faltered. The instructors stood nonchalantly, unfazed even with the rippling aura surrounding them.

_'Damn!'_ thought Soul as he glanced at Hinata and Sasuke. _'How can they act so cool when their higher-up is trying to intimidate us? So not fair.'_

_'Geez, maybe that's why they're here. They're really strong if they can maintain such composure when Shinigami-sama is obviously trying to put us in our place,'_ Tsubaki thought, her hands clenched tightly.

_'Dammit. Shinigami-sama is serious about this. Is he even a Death Scythe? I haven't seen him in Weapon form, yet,'_ Maka thought angrily. Although she knew her place, she couldn't stop the defiance building within herself.

"But Shinigami-sama! How come these newbies are teaching us?! I bet we're just as good as them! Hell, we could even be better!"

"Yeah, what Black*Star said. We'll never know until we actually have a real fight against them. If they manage to best us, I'll accept defeat," Liz propositioned.

_Her determination is admirable,_ Hinata _said _to Sasuke. She received no response. She fought off the urge to smirk at his annoyed expression.

"Oh, goodness. It seems we still haven't explained ourselves fully. Ano, I guess it may be held off until lessons begin. I know you all are anxious to leave," she said calmly, glancing at everyone's grave expression.

"Yes, yes! Very good idea, Hinata-chan! We still need to catch up on a few matters. Everyone else is dismissed. Get back to class on time~!"

Shinigami-sama waved them off as they filed out of the area. Once the last of them had left, he turned his attention back to Hinata and Sasuke. They stood nonchalantly, their emotions masked by an empty stare.

"Now," his voice took on a much more serious tone,"about your assignment..."

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_A/N: Gomen, minna...last update for awhile. I did NOT forget my reviews; I will give recognition where it is due next update/chapter. _

_Please bear with me..._

_0-WickedMelody-0_


	7. Ch 6: Observation?

_**A/N**__: Audience. I am so, so, so, oh so wholly sorry for not updating in like...3 months?! Wow, longer than I had anticipated, but—I have good reasons! I...have finals, this week? Okay, okay! Lame. I'm sorry, but this is a short update, sorry! And, yes, I changed the title. Instead of "Shadow", it will be "Shokunin" which means "meister"._

_But geez, everyone, you're all too much! I'm gonna have to start PM-ing people; 43 reviews?! And over 4,000 hits? *eyes water* Y'all are so awesome...! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the support._

_Alright! Review Corner! Ch. 4!_

_BlackCat-Otaku13: Thank you! :D_

_Apocalypse owner: Yes, I will!_

_ChiChi-O: Yeah, I'm kinda leaning towards that coupling. *drools, lost in her daydreams* Uh, but...harem/reverse harem. I promised that, so I'm not really sure about official pairings 'cause I'm not a fan of the Soul Eater canon pairs. _

_william and jack and jake: Thanks for the enthusiasm!_

_Ch. 5!_

_NeitherSaneNorInsane: I like harems and reverse harems. :3 Gives my story a lil' bit of romance and rivalry! Besides, Hinata would look good with most of the guys from Soul Eater. Kuku, might put in some evil characters, too! Same goes for Sasuke. _

_Apocalypse owner: Yeah, Sasuke is just too cruel like that. ;) _

_william and jack and jake: Thank you!_

_Pokeshadow55: Glad you liked your gift!_

_damnheart.o3: Thanks, it was my first attempt at a kissing scene. My initial reaction after posting it was: "Did I seriously just write that?" _

_puppyluv513: Of course! I don't have any intention on giving up the story. _

_kikigirl4321: Thank you! _

_Now...Chappie 6!_

_Apocalypse owner: Thanks! You deserve a virtual cookie for being a faithful reader/reviewer. *gives cookie* People who review keep my spirits up and motivate me to write. *~*_

_william and jack and jake: Thank you, always, for the compliment!_

_kikigirl4321: I'm grateful (always!) for your reviews! It's people who review chapters every time motivate me! Virtual cookie! :D _

_Ehlonna the demoness: I'll try! I'm trying and—LOOK A CHAPTER! _

_Hyoyeon: Wow, thanks! I'm glad I have their personalities down. I was honestly kinda worried about it, but now I feel a bit more confident. _

_Crazylilic: Thank you for the support! I definitely will keep it up! :) _

_deidara-chan's lover214: Indeed, VERY interesting...although, it's still the beginning and all, so...more to come! Stay interested! _

_Knightmare47: Thanks! About your thoughts...hm...maybe, since I'm making this a harem/reverse harem, I can squeeze in their moments. _

_year-of-the-panda: Aw, thanks! Everyone's going overboard with the compliments...but, here's a chapter! _

_Kitty Uzumaki: Soon, soon. Still more chapters to come! And thanks for the enthusiasm! _

_Lucyole: I don't know if I'm going to make them the official couple of this story, but I AM kinda leaning towards their coupling. And, who knows? Maybe Stein will have his moments, along with other older male Soul Eater characters._

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_Well, that sums it up. On to the main feature! _

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_'Thoughts' _

_Hinata and Sasuke communicating_

"Dialogue"

**_Demon speaking_**

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_Chapter 6: Observation?_

"I know they seem to lack proper respect, but once they understand your purpose they'll be plenty more willing to cooperate. So don't worry about their behaviors. Though...do watch your temper, Sasuke-kun. Black*Star especially is a difficult person in general."

"Hn."

"Very well...please be very patient with this bunch. They are a very promising group of pupils. In due time, explain yourselves to them; your background, why you can do certain things, stuff like that. Okay, so far?"

"Hai!"

"Hai..."

"Good, good! Now go on to see Stein-kun's class. Finish your observations and whatnot. Don't worry about beginning just yet; I'd like to give it a bit more time. I hope it's not too much to ask. You're doing very well, so far."

"Oh, not at all, Shinigami-sama. We are honored by your praise, and we respect your decision. Ne, Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn..."

"Alright! See ya!"

She gave a short bow. A gust of leaves encircled Hinata, whisking her away within mere seconds. Sasuke followed soon after, having given a stiff nod of respect. Shinigami-sama sighed in relief, scratching the top of his head.

"Hopefully, the kids will be understanding. After all, each of them has their own little quirk."

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"Alright, class," Stein drawled, "Open your textbooks to page, hm...let's see, ah! Page 248 and begin reading. Take some notes on the chapter and write a 3-paragraph essay on what you've learned. Homework if you don't finish it in class."

Groans and complaints echoed in the room, but were silenced seconds later by a series of sharp knocks. The class broke out into a hushed murmur. Stein swiveled his chair to face the door, contemplating whether or not to answer. He allowed the cigarette to fall from his mouth so as not to get caught smoking. The smoldering remnants were crushed by the wheels of his chair.

"I wonder who it could be..." Turning the knob, he saw two figures standing in the doorway, one with a smile and the other with a scowl. His eyes widened briefly before glinting with mirth. "Well, I didn't think I'd see you two again so soon. What a pleasant surprise."

"Konnichiwa, Stein-kun! Don't let our presence disturb the class. Please continue as you were before we arrived," Hinata said pleasantly. Her lavender eyes briefly glanced at a flash of neon blue in the upper corner of the room.

_They sit in the upper left corner of the room. How convenient, ne?_

"Stein-hakase! What are they doing here?! Stupid, NOOBS!" Black*Star shouted. He glared hatefully while he stood on his desk with his arms folded. The air surrounding him oozed with defiance. His wavelength flared and lashed out, furiously sparking in every direction. Although not enough to harm anyone, it was enough to annoy them.

Sasuke disinterestedly stared at him, daring him to further insult them. The females swooned over his "bad boy" attitude.

"Is this a sign of insubordination, gaki?" He smirked when he sensed the shift in emotion in Black*Star's fluctuating wavelength.

_Hm, he has quite a strong wavelength. Too bad Shinigami-sama sealed our powers. They haven't witnessed true strength yet..._

"Iie!" Hinata yelled aloud. Her hand clamped over her mouth as quickly as she had spoken. Everyone stared at her; either alarmed by her outburst, or entranced by her beauty.

"Yes, Hinata? Is something wrong?" Stein questioned. He had a new cigarette hanging from his smirking mouth. He seemed amused by her reaction, even if he did not show it.

When the blush died down, she replied, "N-no, gomen. Everything i-is fine."

_Our souls are not to be released! The chances of losing yourself in the power are too great. We cannot endanger the safety of the students. Unless we are granted permission, it is absolute._

"Alright. Class, you may temporarily stop working. I'd like you to meet our newest additions. Please introduce yourselves." Hinata cleared her throat and stepped forward. She poked her index fingers together nervously.

"A-ano, hello. I am Hinata Hyuuga, Scythe-shokunin—ano, meister. Please take g-good care of m-me," she said before bowing.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

"Alrighty! That was pretty much it. Go back to what you were doing before we were interrupted. Oh, and don't be bothered by them. They're under strict order to observe the way we work around here. Carry on!" announced Stein. He swiveled his chair to face the two behind him. He flicked the cigarette, and specks of ember fell to ground. There was idle chattering in the background, the usual gossip-goers filling most of the conversations.

"Can you take care of the class for the last ten minutes? I have some experiments to finish. You don't mind, right?"

"Hai," came Hinata's hesitant answer. Sasuke nodded.

"See ya. And seriously, if they give you any trouble, you have permission to release your seals. Not like you'll need them, but whatever," he said with a casual shrug of his shoulders. Swiveling his chair around again, he kicked off the ground and hurled the chair and himself through the door. "Ah, Hinata, may I see you outside for a moment?" he called loudly from the hallway.

"Ano, sure," she replied rather hesitantly before stepping out of the classroom. Taking one last worried glance at the Uchiha, she closed the door.

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_Stein and Hinata_

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They stood in a calming silence for a few moments. The kunoichi refused to meet his gaze, choosing instead to stare at the floor. Stein merely continued to stare at her, analyzing and taking in her features.

_'She's grown a lot since the last time I've seen her,'_ he mused. His steely grey eyes roamed over her developed her figure. _'Yes, she's definitely matured since long ago.'_

"So, Hinata," the madman began, "what have you been up to lately? You and Sasuke have been gone for quite some time, huh?"

"Yes, we have," she replied, growing comfortable with the familiarity. "We've been back for a while now. It is a shame we couldn't have met up with you sooner, or anyone for that matter."

He regarded her avoidance of the question carefully. He figured he should not read into it deeply, but he was a tad curious. Then, something clicked in his mind.

_'Testing my patience, are you? Well, I have other means to get the answers I want,' _he thought. His demeanor turned lecherous as he bent to her eye level. Hinata tilted her head to the side out of curiosity.

"Yes, Stein-kun?" she asked, her face as innocent as her soul. She hadn't expected him to trail his thumb along her jawline, or pin her against the wall and press his body against hers.

"Tell me, Hinata-chan. Where have you gone all these years?" he asked playfully. "I missed you, ya know. My favorite plaything, leaving without telling me." A hand traced the curvature of her body, brushing against her breast in a tantalizing manner. She involuntarily shuddered, gnawing her lip to hold back a moan.

"Stein-kun, why do you do this? Does..." She trailed off as she pondered her question. Then, in a somber voice, she said, "Your insanity. It's worsened, hasn't it?"

"Don't speak as if you know what it's like," he hissed while tightening his grip on her wrists. She winced slightly but held her head high in defiance, refusing to submit to him as she had when they were younger.

_'I don't want to hurt him, but if he doesn't let go soon...'_

Hinata prepared to shove him away when someone pulled her away from the scientist and held her against his own chest. With a quickened heartbeat, she immediately recognized the person holding her. _'Spirit-kun!'_

"Stein! What the hell are you doing to Hina-chan?! You sadist!" The Death Scythe angrily yelled at his partner. He glared at Stein with a hatred none of them expected him to be capable of.

_'This hatred...I've never seen this side to Spirit-kun. I would understand anger, but I sense more hatred than anything.'_

"Ah, Spirit-kun, it's not his fault...his insanity is—"

"No, Hinata-chan! He...he doesn't act that way when the insanity controls him. These are actions of his own," Spirit explained. He hugged the kunoichi protectively, surprised that her petite figure fit perfectly in his arms. However, he didn't dwell on the thought as he was too angry at Stein to think about anything else.

_'Dammit, Stein. What the hell is wrong with you? How could you go so far as to do this...!'_ She felt Spirit's possessive hold tighten around her waist, sensing the troubling emotions running through his mind.

"Relax, Senpai. I didn't really do anything to her," Stein said nonchalantly with a shrug. He dug in his pocket and produced a cigarette, which he stuck in his mouth, and lighted its end. He took a long drag before releasing a content sigh. They stood in tense silence before he finally walked away, much to the others' surprise.

Once he was out of sight, Spirit sighed. He, somewhat reluctantly, released Hinata from his arms, who rubbed the sore areas on her wrists. A tinge of fury erupted in his chest when he saw bruises developing on her flawless skin.

"Ano, arigatou, Spirit-kun. I would have been forced to hurt him had you not interfered." He shook his head furiously and took her up in his arms once again. She blushed when he nuzzled his head against hers.

"I'm glad you're back at Shibusen," he whispered to her in an affectionate voice. Her presence soothed the chaos in his mind; what with the divorce, Maka's apparent dislike towards him, etc. Now with Stein's "tendencies", he'd need to warn her and her partner of the trouble he could cause for them.

"A-ano, S-S-Spirit-kun? Are y-you okay?" The redhead shook his head slowly and sighed. Hinata's maternal instincts came in, trying to soothe him by whispering reassurances and stroking his hair. It was the only thing she could really do in his moment of weakness. "You can tell me anything, you know."

"Yeah, but...later. I'll tell you some other time. I want you to be careful around Stein from now on. He's been stable for quite awhile, then you come back and he's just..."

"Okay, Spirit-kun. I trust you." She pulled away from him and removed the hitai-ate from her eyes, allowing it to hang loosely around her neck. "I-I should get back to Sasuke-kun. It was nice seeing you again, Spirit-kun."

"Same, Hinata-chan."

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As soon as she stepped through the door, Sasuke mentally bombarded her with questions. He was furious at the moment knowing something had happened between her and Stein. She turned away from his glare and shamefully showed her wrists to him. The faint sight of purple coloring fueled his rage.

_'Damn Stein...he'll have hell to pay later.'_ A sinister aura leaked from his soul and flooded the room. Hinata glanced at him worriedly feeling his abrupt shift in emotion. She began to panic when she realized killer intent began to radiate from his soul. She gulped softly and prepared herself to activate her Byakugan. What she saw made her stomach lurch in fear.

Tendrils of darkness were stemming from the evil which had been lying dormant in his soul, reaching out to the souls surrounding him. Hinata had seen this happen many times before, and every time there was always someone who killed him/herself in an attempt to escape the cursed power.

_No, no, no! Sasuke-kun, please! Matte!_

He growled in anger as his hands balled into fists. His breathing became labored and heavy, as if he had risen up to the surface from the depths of the ocean. The onyx of his eyes intermingled with bloody crimson, his kekkei genkai threatening to activate.

_'Dammit! I can't lose...my self-control...FOCUS!'_

**_Give in to the black abyss within your soul, Uchiha. Do it now, before you lose yourself completely...before you harm the ones you hold dear to your heart..._**

"Urusai..." he muttered to the demonic voice in his mind.

The students watched in fascination though some were understandably uneasy, namely those who possessed a developed Perception.

"Um, is he okay?" one of the students asked warily. A few of the perceptive ones were murmuring frantically about the change in his aura.

Hinata nodded calmly and faced her partner. Her voice was resolute when she spoke, "Sasuke-kun, calm yourself."

His body shook uncontrollably but ceased when she tapped the area where his heart lay. His eyes widened and he gagged, feeling the darkness retreating to its dormant state. Through their bond, they watched as her radiant wavelength branched out to consume the remaining tendrils which threatened to infect the students' souls.

"Hey, what the hell's wrong with him?" Black*Star practically yelled. He still stood upon his desk and was keenly watching Hinata's actions. He wondered what the hell she was doing to him.

"Ehhh? Will Duck-Butt be okay?" Patti pouted at the panting Uchiha. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Her paper mâché giraffe lay forgotten on the floor. The rest of the group also had looks of concern on their faces.

_'So this is what Shinigami-sama meant...their compassion for a comrade.'_

"H-he will be fine. Do not w-worry, I know h-how to help him," Hinata replied. Glancing at a clock, she saw there were only a few minutes left until dismissal. "Everyone, you know what y-your homework i-is?"

"Yes!" came the enthusiastic reply.

The bell rang, and everyone rushed to leave. Just as they were about to open the door, she stopped them. "Ano, w-wait!" They froze and eyed her with irritation written on their faces. "Those w-who are currently t-taking remedial lessons are to report i-in the Death Room by 5:30 tonight. You know who you are. Class dismissed."

Approx. two hours later

"Ugh, where are they? It's been like for-EVER since we got here!" Black*Star complained. He grumbled to himself and decided to busy himself by punching the wall. Everyone chose to ignore his outburst, although they also were wondering the same thing.

"It's only five minutes after the set time, Black*Star," Maka said with a tired sigh. She rubbed her temple to soothe her oncoming headache. "I'm sure they'll be here soon."

"Yeah, Black*Star. Have patience, and try not to destroy the wall." Tsubaki warily watched as cracks formed from the impact of his punches.

_'Why me?'_ thought Soul while readjusting his headband. He sat on the floor with his head propped up by his hand. _'I wanna go home, eat dinner, sleep...what the hell's taking so long?'_ Those thoughts repeated until he dozed off. Maka didn't care that he fell asleep; it was routine that he would take a nap out of the blue.

"Geez, I hope they hurry," she sighed. True, she was known to be a bit impatient, but she preferred people to be punctual. She wanted the two to come soon; she had studying to finish. As soon as the thought popped into her head, she sensed a familiar presence approaching. "Hey, guys, I think they're here–"

"LOOK OUT!"

A flurry of shuriken and kunai were headed towards the idle group, who immediately sprung into action to dodge the oncoming projectiles. Maka had grabbed her partner by the collar and pulled him away from his previous napping place, her eyes wide as she saw the numerous knives stuck in the ground. Black*Star was perched on the rafters above in a defensive position, Tsubaki having transformed into a kusarigawa. His eyes were trained on the entranceway where two people were quickly heading.

_'What now? I thought we were past this phase...'_ She thought irately as she assumed an offensive stance. Soul stood next to her with his mouth agape as he stared at the floor. The shock of nearly being sliced to death caused him to stand as still as a statue, as if it could make him any safer.

"Crap..." was all he could say before transforming into a scythe landing in Maka's hands. He tried redirecting his thoughts from the near death experience to other matters. '_What reason do they have to attack us now? And, more importantly...'_

"Where the hell is Kidd?!" More kunai came flying through the air. These ones were different from the others which were plain; the newer ones had a tag attached to their handles. One managed to imbed itself in the space next to Black*Star, momentarily catching him off guard. "Oh, crap."

"Black*Star!" Maka and Tsubaki cried out in alarm when the tag went off. The assassin was falling head first, unconscious, towards a pile of discarded weapons. She watched in horror as he came closer and closer to his inevitable death. "No!"

A blur of black had caught him before his body could touch the floor. The blur sped towards Maka, revealing Kidd on Beelzebub with the unconscious meister. He slid his body off the board gently before getting off himself.

"Hm, seems I came right on time," he remarked a bit playfully. He assumed his defensive pose, his Twin Pistols ready to fire at any given second.

"Just as we come to a close." Hearing her voice made Maka and Kidd tense. "Oh, don't worry! We've finished for today."

"What the hell do you mean?! How are we supposed to trust you after you just randomly attacked us?" An angry Soul said. "Not only that, Black*Star nearly fell to his death!"

"Yeah! What's your deal, Hinata-san?" Maka asked. The kunoichi sighed as she approached them. The group immediately noticed the absence of her partner, wondering why he was not present.

"Awww, Sasuke-kun isn't here," Liz complained to her sister. Kidd groaned and told her to shut up. _'You shut up, stupid asymmetrical freak!'_ Although she really wanted to voice her thoughts, she shut her mouth. Patti just laughed at her misfortune, taunting her for liking "Duck Butt".

"My...deal? Today was just a short observation of your reaction time," she explained to them calmly. By now, the Weapons had transformed and stood (or, in Tsubaki's case, crouched) by their partner. "I wanted a sense of how quickly you would react should an enemy appear suddenly without your knowledge. And, apologies for taking it to the extreme. I have a tendency to make it too...challenging," she said, referring to the incident with Black*Star.

"Chichiue will be notified of this, Hinata-san. I cannot let this go overlooked," Kidd said sternly. "A student was nearly killed in this test of yours." She nodded in understanding, knowing that Shinigami-sama would ignore his son's report.

_'I would have stepped in to save him. But you reached him before I could, Kidd-kun.'_

"If that is all, may we take our leave?" Tsubaki timidly asked. She was anxious to get Black*Star home to tend to his possible wounds.

"Hai! You're all free to go. And remember: stay vigilant."

* * *

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_A/N: It's...1 o'clock in the freaking morning. Sorry if the end seemed rushed, I just got tired...and what am I saying? God, I feel horrible for saying that now. I apologize; the stress of finals has gotten to me. And on a side note: _

"shokunin" : "meister"

"Senpai" : "upperclassman"

"Urusai" : "Shut up"

"Chichiue" : "Honorable Father"


	8. Miniseries! Day 0: Planning

_A/N: Minna-san! I have a new Omake for you all! This one is kinda long, I admit. I AM working on other real chapters of the story, promise! I just...had this idea in my head and thought: _why not?_ Well, hope you guys like it. _

_On another side note, one review has caught my attention. __**Hyoyeon**__ has brought to my attention a very major flaw in the story. _

Hyoyeon:Woo another excellent chapter. I'm curious about the Stein/Hina and  
Spirit/Hina relationships. The academy students can't speak Japanese, right?  
Then why do they call Lord Death 'Shinigami-sama' and Death the Kid calls him  
'Chichiue'? Sorry it just bugs me. ha

_Hyoyeon, if you're reading this, I'm sorry! I didn't even realize this myself. I thought it would be okay with the readers but apparently not! I hope you can forgive my mistake. I'm trying to make the story wrap around the manga plot, with everyone retaining their normal speech. If it truly bothers you, I can make the characters speak strictly English. No honorifics or anything._

**So, readers, it's up to you. Would you like the Shibusen students to speak only English from now on?**

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_Day 0: Planning_

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"YES! VAY-CAY TIME!" Liz screamed excitedly when Shinigami-sama announced they were allowed a 3-day weekend away from school on a private island near the Bahamas, exclusive only to Kidd's closest friends.

"Unfortunately, the professors cannot come along. But don't worry! I'll be sending two who aren't busy at the moment," he further explained to them. "They'll be staying in case anything, er...happens. Or to prevent anything FROM happening." They gave him a suspicious glare, as if to ask what exactly could happen. He waved it off, saying he was overthinking possible situations. "I'm sure you have some idea of who will be joining."

* * *

"YEAH! Alright finally! I've been waiting for this for a hella long time," exclaimed Black*Star. "Let's go, Tsubaki! We've got packing to do!" He immediately raced back to his house, his partner obediently following after him.

* * *

_'Urgh, now I need to go shopping for a bathing suit.'_ Maka shivered in disgust. The thought of wearing a two-piece horrified her to no end. Such clothing shouldn't even be classified as clothes! They were skimpy and barely covered women's private areas, plus it revealed too much skin in her opinion. However, she had every intention to capture a certain Uchiha's attention. She could overlook the minor...infractions, so to speak. Reassuring herself it would be fine, she set off to find the perfect swimsuit.

Soul, on the other hand, decided to go straight home to pack for the trip. Normally he would just throw in a few, good outfits and necesities in a travel bag at the last minute, but since this is an overnight stay at Shinigami-sama's mansion, he had a small bit of planning to do. Especially if he wanted to show off to the ladies, one in particular who had taken up many of his thoughts as of late. He heaved a sigh, muttered about how uncool it was to plan ahead, and opened his closet.

* * *

"No, this won't do. Too long; too...big?—what in the world is this?!—too short; too tight...hm." Kidd sifted through his very organized drawers quickly, trying to find a suitable pair of swim trunks. He did not want to embarrass himself by wearing something loose and baggy, nor did he want to wear something tight enough to show his—

He cleared his throat, a blush adorning his cheeks as an awkward image of him in too-tight shorts flashed in his head. The image engrained itself in the recesses of his mind, taunting him with various outcomes of situations where he is caught wearing them.

He wasn't embarrassed of his size or anything; rather, he thought for the females who would be joining them. He feared they would ogle too much, or, in the worst case scenario, be repulsed by it.

Although, Kidd wouldn't mind if a certain bluette happened to keep staring at his—

"Gyah! You deprived brain, stop it! Ugh, it's improper to think in such a way." He stared at his reflection, cringing in repulsion at his own image. "You disgust me...!"

* * *

"PATTI! GIVE THAT BACK, YOU LITTLE BI-"

"AHAHA! NO WAY, SIS! This is too good, I needa show Kiddo first!" The younger of the two ran away with a very intimate piece of lingerie, laughing maniacally while waving it in the air. "Ne, ne! Sis is gonna wear this for Sasuke-kun~! Hahahaha!"

"PATTI! SHUT THE HELL UP!"

* * *

"Hn. I do not understand why we need to be the ones to supervise them," Sasuke pointedly said to his partner who was already halfway finished packing her suitcase. She huffed and turned to face him with a roll of her eyes.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun, be glad Shinigami-sama allowed this short break. We rarely ever get to relax, anyway," she told him coolly. "Besides, we were assigned to watch over them. "Guardians," he told us." Then she returned her attention to the swim suits laid on her bed, scrutinizing each one with a small hum.

The male, being somewhat curious as to what kept her so indecisive, walked over to her and blanched at the sight of provocative swimwear. His face retained an impassive expression; however, a faint pink colored his cheeks as he cleared his throat. Hinata held up two of them, practically shoving it in his face.

"Which one would look better on me? This one." She waved a strapless lavender bikini top with a silver ring attaching the two cups. Quite modest, in her opinion. And harmless, as well. She actually preferred it over the other. "Or...this one?" The other was a black crossover top which left little to the imagination. She felt shameful for even owning such a thing.

"Ano..." Sasuke could only stare wide-eyed at the choices. He very much wanted to say the black one would suit her well, but he knew better than to say that to her. "The...purple one." The pink staining his cheeks only darkened when she giggled at his behavior.

"Sasuke-kun, you're so cute when you're embarrassed!"

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_Thoughts are appreciated. Thanks! _

_0-WickedMelody-0_


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